mez-aeroseal the new air tightness class for ductwork

MEZ-AEROSEALTHE NEW AIR TIGHTNESS CLASS FOR DUCTWORK

MEZ-AEROSEAL is a unique technology for efficient and effective

sealing of already installed air duct system from inside out.

As integral component in the construction of new ventilation sys-

tems, maximum air tightness requirements for installed systems can be

guaranteed as well as achieved.

It doesn’t matter if you have to deal with restructuring or retrofit, MEZ-

AEROSEAL seals the air duct system fast, efficient and the required air tight-

ness class can be achieved. The patented AEROSEAL process was develo-

ped in the 1990s at the University of Berkeley/California. This technology

has been successfully applied in more than 125.000 air duct systems, in

residential as well as commercial buildings, all over the world.

Since 2015 MEZ-AEROSEAL sets new standards for the tightness of air duct

systems all over Europe and overseas.

MEZ-AEROSEAL THE TECHNOLOGY

2 MEZ-AEROSEAL – The new air tightness class for ductwork

How does MEZ-AEROSEAL work? The sealant, which is souble in water, is transformed into a gaseous state using heated

compressed air. The aerosolized particles seal the whole leakage of the ventilation system.

One leak after another up to a diameter of 1.5 cm are sealed and withstan a pressure of up to 2.000 Pa.

3MEZ-AEROSEAL – The new air tightness class for ductwork

Due to limited access of already installed air duct systems and the fact that

small and individual leakages are the problem, the sealing of those systems

has been extremely difficult as well as inefficient so far. As a result of the

achievement of air tightness class C or D for a ready installed air duct system

was usually not possible.

With MEZ-AEROSEAL you are able to guarantee air tightness class D.

The sealant, transported by the air flow, seeks for leakages within the air duct

system and attaches directly onto the edges of those. Using this process you

are able to achieve results like you would only achieve with welded or very

elaborately sealed air ducts.

Even a significant undercut of the requirements of air tightness class D

according to EN 1507, EN 12237, EN 12599, Eurovent or DW144 TM1

is possible.


WHY IS MEZ-AEROSEAL THE NEW AIR TIGHTNESS CLASS?


As an illustration of the amount of leakage in air duct systems you may use follo-

wing model as basis:

• A common air duct size of 1.000 x 500 x 1.500 mm

• = 750 l volume

• = 4,5 m2 surface

• and a system pressure of 250 Pa

air tightness classes and leakages can be depicted as following.

MODEL LEAKAGE LOSSES


Leak air volume per hour

EN 16798-3 ATC 6* ATC 5 ATC 4 ATC 3 ATC 2 ATC 1

Air tightness class 2,5 x A A B C D

Test pressure in Pa 250 250 250 250 250

Surface in m2 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5 4,5

Max. air leakage rate in m3/s * m2 0,0019546 0,0009773 0,0003258 0,0001086 0,0000362

Air leakage rate in m3/s 0,0088 0,0044 0,0015 0,0005 0,0002

Air leakage rate in m3/h 31,6642 15,8321 5,2774 1,7951 0,5864

Air leakage rate in l/s 8,7956 4,3978 1,4659 0,4886 0,1629

Air leakage rate in l/h 39,580 15.832 5.277 1.759 586

approx. % 15% 6% 2% 0,67% 0,22%

Component volume 52,5 x 21 x 7 x 2,3 x 0,78 x

* ATC 6 = default according to EN 16798-3 if air tightness class is unknown


FOR ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED A WIN-WIN SOLUTION


Planners can guarantee that the whole air duct system com-

plies with the air tightness requirements of the respective standards.

Meanwhile an air tightness test according to EN 12599 will be much ea-

sier.

Air Duct Manufacturers which meet the air tightness requirements

of EN 1507 or EN 12237 through their in-house quality assurance or the

use of high quality products in the manufacturing, don’t have to deal with

defects caused by the assembly.

HVAC contractors can easily fulfil and prove the required air tight-

ness class in the course of the installation. Complex and expensive rework

is not necessary.

Operators and User benefit from an optimal and energy-

efficient system operation.

Facility Managers and Energy Efficiency Consultants

get an easy and effective method to optimise leaking existing air ducts

and to reduce energy costs.


ADVANTAGE 1 SPEED

Our MEZ-AEROSEAL process enables an extreme-

ly fast project execution, due to the fact that no long-

term construction works are necessary.

The affected building or section within the building

(for example in existing hotels) can be used again

immediately. Per day, you can seal 5 rectangular

duct lines or up to 600 m line length or approx.

2.700 m2 of duct surface.

To apply MEZ-AEROSEAL, 1 - 2 service technicians

are sufficient.

When sealing during the installation of new air duct

systems, the section by section application and re-

cording guarantees a fulfillment of the required air

tightness class for the whole system and eliminates

delays of the project progression due to rectificati-

ons.


ADVANTAGE 2 INCREASE OFCOMFORT & HYGIENE

• Heat loss or the loss of cooling caused by leaky ductwork will be minimised

• An equal distribution of pretreated air in the whole building will be guaranteed

• No more noise generation caused by leakages

• Odour due to leaky ductwork is not a problem anymore

• The general indoor air hygiene will be improved


Before and after sealing with MEZ-AEROSEAL the total leakage of the affected

systems is determined and noted in a certificate, which documents the sealing pro-

cess.

The average reduction of the leakage is more than 90%.

ADVANTAGE 3 DOCUMENTATION


ADVANTAGE 4 ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The average leakage of air duct systems in Europe is between 15 and 30%. In

case of unknown air tightness class, the leakage according to EN 16798 Part 3

is 15%, even at air tightness class A it’s still 6% of the air flow.

As a result of that the potential of energy saving is up to 50% of the specific fan

Example: Illustration of theoretical relation

between air leakage rate and fan power

requirement:

Fan power requirement increases by 3 times compa-

red to the air leakage rate.

The SFP (specific fan power) according to EN 13779

can be reduced by the reduction of the air leakage

rate. This allows a compliance with the guidelines of

EnEV 2014.

power. In buildings with a high air exchange rate, like hospitals, pharmaceutical

industry, hotels or first class offices, the payback period of the sealing is quite

short, partially within one year.


MEZ-AEROSEAL CASE STUDIES

MEZ-AEROSEAL has been successfully applied at several projects like a poly-

technic university in Switzerland, a server farm in Norway or the latest Cardio-

logy Clinic of Macedonia.


Extract of MEZ-AEROSEAL Projects

Total leakage (l/s) Air tightness class (average)

Project Total surface of air duct system (m2) Before After Before After Total reduction of the

leakage

Nursing home and community center 707 94 5 B D 95%

Retirement home „Franziskus“ 288 124 13 B D 89%

Cardiology Clinic Filip Vtori 7.366 10.831 345 A D 97%

Production building IST METZ GmbH 182 130 4 A D 97%

Apartment building 834 622 64 Ca. A C 90%

Office building Conseil Général Gironde 288 861 66 3,1*<A B 92%

University Paris Ouest 2.079 2.787 217 1,4*<A C 92%

Shopping Center Vill‘up 1.186 1.424 78 1,2*<A B 93%

Maternity hospital „Casablanca Félicité“ 1.350 1.661 88 1,3*<A C 95%

Nursery 346 914 66 2,7*<A B 93%

Nanotechnological labora-tory „Campus Institut Mines Télécom“

165 140 4 A D 97%


CASE STUDY HERZKLINIK FILIP VTORI

The air duct systems of the newly built cardiosurge-

ry „Filip Vtori“ were strongly leaky, caused by the

poor quality of the air ducts and their installations.

Many rooms didn‘t receive a sufficient amount of

air. Also, hygienical problems caused by uncontrol-

led air flows were to expect. The deficiencies of the

ventilation system delayed the building‘s opening,

so that the customer had to stay longer than origi-

nally planned in the old building, which caused high

costs for rent.

The target of this project was to compensa-

te shortcomings of the ventilation system and

ensure the building‘s opening in a timely

manner.

Place Skopje, Macedonia

Date 09. - 19.11.2015

MEZ-AEROSEAL Partner Cooperation between MEZ-TECHNIK GmbH and ACO-AEROSEAL Switzerland

Preseal leakage Air tightness class A and worse

Postseal leakage Air tightness class D

Reduction of leakage in between 93% and 98%

Result The entire ventilation system was sealed. The system mainly consisted of rectangular ducts with flanged connec-

tions. Due to the size of the building, ducts runs of up to 120 meters length were sealed per sealing event. Thanks to

MEZ-AEROSEAL, the delay of the building‘s opening could be minimized and the ventilation system now works without

any limitations.

Customer quote „Our hospital is equipped with the newest high efficiency HVAC system also using renewable energy sources. So we

cannot afford losing this efficiency through leaky air ducts. Thanks to MEZ-AEROSEAL we have now solved all

hygienic, energetic and performance related problems at once. Furthermore, an additional delay of the building‘s

opening could be avoided“ - Dr. Zan Mitrev (Customer & Cardiovascular Surgeon)


CASE STUDY DIGIPLEX DATA-CENTER

The Digiplex Data-Center in Fetsund near Oslo is an ultramodern server farm with a total surface of 4.200 m2. The two three-storey, air cooled buildings, have a capacity

for 20.000 servers. For fire prevention reasons, the level of oxygen in the air is reduced to 15%.

Target of this job was the sealing of 36 Air Handling Units to air tightness below air tightness class D.

Place Fetsund, Norwegen

Date July/September 2015

MEZ-AEROSEAL Partner MEZ-TECHNIK GmbH

Executing company GK Inneklima AS

Preseal leakage approx. 18 - 70 l/s

Postseal leakage approx. 2,5 - 5 l/s

Reduction of leakage approx. 85 - 93%

Result The leakage of the Air Handling Units could be reduced by about 90% in average. As a

consequence, the DeOX system can now run at only 70% of its capacity, which results in an

essential reduction of the operating costs.


CASE STUDY HOSPITAL WELS

In the hospital in Wels/Austria, the fans of an air duct system built in 2002 were exchanged. In this context, the main ductwork sections were brought to the current state-

of-the-art level concerning air tightness using MEZ-AEROSEAL. At the time the hospital was built, an air tightness class B was common in hospital construction. So the

duct system was delivered as ordered. As part of the fan retrofit, the main ducts between the air handling unit and the post-treatment-zones were controlled and sealed.

Target was to reduce the leakage losses and increase the energy effciency of the air duct system.

Place Hospital Wels-Grieskirchen

Date 17. + 24.03.2017

MEZ-AEROSEAL Partner Ing. August Lengauer GmbH & Co. KG

Preseal leakage 642,7 l/s at 1.000 Pa in total

Postseal leakage 24,1 l/s at 1.000 Pa in total

Reduction of leakage 96% on average

Result After sealing with MEZ-AEROSEAL, the maximum permissible leak air of air tightness class D could be reached (initial

value was an air tightness class B; target was air tightness class C).

Through the considerably higher air tightness, leak air in the amount of 2.225 m3/h (365 days per year / 24 hours

per day) can be saved. The redevelopment of the air duct systems amortizes within only one year.


CASE STUDY RED-LINE SUBWAY STATION AL BIDDA, QATAR

Place Doha, Qatar

Date December 2017 - July 2018

MEZ-AEROSEAL Partner Cooperation between MEZ-TECHNIK GmbH and ACO-AEROSEAL Switzerland

Preseal leakage 5.627 l/s

Postseal leakage 564 l/s

Reduction of leakage 92% in average

30 sealed air duct sections during the first on-site deployment in Doha: with regard to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, an immense construction activity is in progress

right now. A whole new subways system is currently built in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Some of the new subway stations are already in the final phase of the construction. During this stage, it was noted that the ventilation systems as well as the modest quality

of the air ducts led to high leakage rates – even though all ducts have been generously prepared from the outside with sealant. The builders recognized the need of

tight air ducts and and were prepared to invest money as well as the necessary work, to get to the point where the ventilation system delivers performance and benefits

according to the specified parameters.

None of the tested sections fulfilled the specified air tightness class C. All sections were between air tightness class A and 3 x A. The leakage rate was caused by many

small leaks (mainly at the corner connections), which is perfect for the usage of MEZ-AEROSEAL.

At the section with the highest leakage rate, the leakage could be reduced from 1.600 l/s to 20 l/s in just seven hours.


CASE STUDY EPFL LAUSANNE

EPFL in Lausanne is a University for engineers and architects and was founded in 1969. It includes 5 Schools, 2 Colleges, 1 Transdisciplinary

Entity, 28 Institutes and 354 Laboratories. MEZ-AEROSEAL was used to seal 3 floors of a training laboratory, in order to remedy whistling

ducts, draft and lack of energy efficiency. The project included horizontal and riser ducts for supply and return air. The modern and architectu-

rally sophisticated building doesn‘t have any drop ceilings. Therefore the leaky air from the duct systems could be heard and felt by its visitors.

The target was to improve the energy efficiency and a reduction of whistling and draft.

Place Lausanne, Switzerland

Date 03. - 05.03.2015

MEZ-AEROSEAL Partner MEZ-TECHNIK GmbH

Reduction of leakage 94,1% in average on 10 air duct sections

Result The leakage of the treated ducts could be reduced by an average of 94,1%, and the noise

pollution and the unpleaseant draft could be remedied.


HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEALANT?

1. In order to prepare the air duct system all inlets and outlets, depending on the requirements, need to closed

with steel plates, foam, sealing balloons or MEZ-DUCT-WRAP.

2. Connections of the air duct system to ventilation systems, fans or heat exchangers need to be disconnected and installed

sensors need to be protected/covered. (Silencers, fire and volume dampers can stay within the duct system.)

3. Afterwards the system will be connected with the MEZ-AEROSEAL equipment using a transparent plastic tube.

4. Prior to the sealing process a leakage test will be performed to determine the current leakage rate.

5. The sealant will be injected via the machine into the system and seals the leakages step by step.

6. After the sealing process a second leakage test will be performed to measure the leakage rate again and

a certificate will be issued as well.

7. All uninstalled components can be reinstalled and connected.

8. The system can already be operated again two hours after the sealing or adjustment.

• The sealant is non toxic, non flammable mix of water and Polyvinylacetat (PVAC/PVA)

• Remains flexible, Durability of + 30 years

• Temperature resistance approx. -29°C - +249°C

• Hardly inflammable according to UL and B - s1,d0

• Corresponds to several relevant standards such as UL, VDI, EN, FDA, NSF

• VOC tested, Certified Low VOC Compliant with LEED V4 and DGNB (level 4)

• Fire damper tested

• Can be used for fire rated smoke exhaust ducts, sheet metal and silicate ducts (PROMAT) as

confirmed by German Ministry for construction


WHO COULD DO THE SEALING JOB?


MEZ-TECHNIK GmbHBierwiesenstr. 772770 Reutlingen GermanyTel.: +49 (7072) 600980Fax: +49 (7072) [email protected]

mez-aeroseal the new air tightness class for ductwork

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